


a heart's progress

by sureimiku



Category: Tales of Xillia
Genre: Gen, Post Game, i think jude needs a break. give him a break
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2020-09-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:33:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26227204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sureimiku/pseuds/sureimiku
Summary: In which Leia pays her childhood friend a visit, months after they’d gone their own separate ways.{day 1 of xillia week; fennmont/ambition}
Relationships: Jude Mathis & Leia Rolando
Comments: 14
Kudos: 12
Collections: Tales of Xillia Week





	a heart's progress

**Author's Note:**

> Xillia week is finally upon us!!! :D 
> 
> I want to thank friends and the xillia server for encouraging me the past few weeks. Writing for this event has been such a delight. I love this game much and finally wrote several ideas I’d been thinking about for months now! Speaking of which I will be posting these fics separately instead of one huge fic :)
> 
> Thanks so much for reading, and happy xillia week! Comments and kudos are always appreciated <3

Not too long after they finished their journey, Leia decided to pay her childhood friend a visit. The plan was to stay for two days or so; she wasn’t on a tight schedule. She planned to visit her other friends while she was away from home. Leia was especially lucky that Jude had an opening for a break; as one of the leading spyrite researchers, the word “break” didn’t seem to exist in his dictionary. 

Fennmont was the same as ever, save for the spirit clime that once dwelled there. The once dark colored sky hazed with different shades of green had transformed into a clear blue, dotted with white clouds instead. Now that the schism was gone, various locations around the country were beginning to experience a new environment, perhaps Fennmont having the most prominent change. 

When Leia saw the familiar cut of dark hair waiting at the medical school entrance, she practically dashed over in a matter of seconds. Jude really did look like a professional from a distance, with his white coat and neatly brushed hair. “It’s so good to see you again,” Leia sighed, wrapping her arms around him. It had only been five months, but after spending so much time with her group of close knit friends, five months felt even longer. 

“It’s good to see you too. You look like you’re doing well.” Leia couldn’t help but notice that Jude looked a bit more...changed? Maybe it was his choice of clothes, or his facial features revealing that he hadn’t slept in days. 

“Oh, I am! Helping out at the inn has been a blast! I’ll tell you about it when I set my belongings somewhere…” Leia took in the sight of the large building, no longer dimmed by the night sky. “It feels like a whole new place here, huh?” Just by looking at the school, one could definitely tell that Fennmont was the capital of shaping and working with spirit artes and spyrites. 

“Oh, yeah. It shocked me a bit when I got back here, but I think everyone is adapting nicely. Being in Lasylph makes for nice weather too. I don't get to go out that often, though.” Leia propped her bag off the floor and slung it over her shoulder. “Well, we’ll fix that while I’m here!” She marched towards the entrance, coming to a halt before the double doors. “Uh… which way do I go?”

* * *

“Wow, this is your _room_?” Well, it didn’t seem like one, it resembled more of an office; papers and medical notes were scattered across the desk, an empty water bottle here and there, and folded clothes that had yet to be put away. An unsent letter was resting on the bedside table. 

“Sorry for not tidying up before you got here—“ Jude grabbed a stack of books off his desk and laid it on the floor, “— I completely forgot about it. I don’t get visitors that often.” Yes, that much was obvious.

Leia couldn’t help but chuckle; he always tended to forget about cleaning his room. Even in Leronde, he had a few books scattered here and there. “It’s okay, I get it. You’re busy.” 

Just hearing the word “busy” made the researcher remember all the work and meetings he had to resume once his friend left. Making progress was always good, and Jude was certainly succeeding in his research, but some days he wished he could just _escape_. Losing papers and notes, reasoning with rude meeting attendees, and hitting a rock during experiments all contributed to that same want to escape. 

The desk and chair were finally cleared, allowing Leia to sit down. She felt like she was on her feet all day; she knew the research school was big, but not _this_ huge. Corridors and doors were always in sight, making it impossible to tell which one was her friend’s. 

“So, what are you planning to do here?” Jude had just cleared his bed (it had been quite a few days since he did so) and took the pleasure of laying down for the first time in hours.

“Well, I came to visit you, but I’ll probably do some shopping. They have some clothing and jewelry stores, in the central plaza, right?” Jude nodded. “Why don’t you come with me, then? I’ll probably get lost anyway.” 

He took a moment to answer, unfortunately remembering the article someone asked him to look over and annotate. He still had a few pages left, maybe five or six, and was planning to do that first thing _tomorrow._ Jude liked to keep a tight schedule, organizing tasks in a timely manner so he could at least have time to unwind by the end of the day...

Well, it wasn’t like his friends always got to visit him. He hadn’t really been able to pick up some new stationery to send letters, anyway. “That sounds good. Just meet me at the front of the plaza in the morning, then.” Just saying a simple yes was enough to make his friend smile. 

“Thanks!” Leia picked up one of the scattered papers on the floor, trying to make sense of Jude's handwriting. What was once dainty and bubbly had become a scribbled mess. "So...tell me how things have been on your end."

"Oh, Leia, I don't even know where to start..." The pair talked for what seemed hours. Jude shared his experiences with certain colleagues and school visitors, while Leia shared stories of how things were back in Leronde. She'd mentioned his parents, and how they said hello from back home. The inn was booming with more guests than before; everything seemed just fine.

A glance up the wall revealed a small clock, reading a little past six. “I should probably go check into my inn room now. Don’t want it to get too dark before heading over there.” Leia grabbed her bag and hurried towards the door. "We'll continue tomorrow?"

“Okay. See you tomorrow, then.” 

And as he knew it, Jude was alone in his room again, just like it always had been. At least he could rest well tonight knowing that his room was cleaner than usual, and that he had something to look forward to for once. 

* * *

“How do you think this one fits on me?” Leia was holding up a necklace with a tiny flower at the center— a princessia, Jude guessed, based on the color. “It looks nice.” A truthful response, coming from someone who didn’t have taste in jewelry. He was distracted by the bustle of the marketplace and the sun’s beaming rays; as he said, he hadn’t fully been immersed in the shopping area because of work. 

“You’ve said that the entire time we’ve been here!” Leia hung the silver strand back on its hook and darted towards another stall, with something Jude would be more interested in. The stall in question had _more_ trinkets, but with more personal items— handmade bracelets, teacups, photo frames, and other things. 

The first thing that caught the researcher’s eye was a photo frame of some kind, its borders decorated with varying swirls of different colors. 

The storekeeper had taken notice of the pair examining his wares. “You like that one?” That’s one of our recent imports. Made by someone who really values the Great Spirits.” 

_Probably someone from Nia Khera…_ Jude examined the rectangular frame further, pointing out more trivial details he hadn’t seen before. Near the top center, a gold-colored orb sat as the king. Without hesitation he bought it, thanking the storekeeper for telling them the item’s origin. 

“You like that a lot, don’t you?” Leia knew Jude for almost her whole life, and she knew that when he bought something on impulse, he without a doubt liked it. 

“Yeah.” Jude stared at the frame carefully, admiring how intricate the designer made it— blue and red swirls overlapped each other, while yellow and green complemented it. “I just don’t know what to put inside.” 

“Well, we can’t take a picture right now. Everyone has to be there, right?” Leia tried to ignore the tug of her heart, reminding her that one of their friends wasn’t with them anymore, or at least for the time being. “It wouldn’t be the same if we left someone out.”

Immediately Jude knew who she was referring to. Reminiscing about it still stung a little, but knowing she would be okay put him at ease. For some reason, he kept believing he’d cross paths with her someday. “Well, there’s two of us right now. It might be hard getting Rowen and Elize here, but we can try, right?” Leia fiddled with her hands absentmindedly. “Have you heard from Alvin?”

Jude shook his head. The last he’d gotten from him was a letter saying he was going to start a business and then… he left. Probably somewhere in Elympios now, because he wasn’t getting his letters anymore. 

“We’ll see him again. If we end up going to Elympios, we’ll have to drag him into the photo as a price for making us travel so far.” It got lonely sometimes, not being able to share stories with or have dinner with their close knit group of friends. They had gone from laughing, crying with each other to talking through letters, but at least they had all set off to do what they truly wanted. And honestly? That was what was the most important, to Jude at least. 

“I’ll keep it stored in my closet for now so I don’t forget about it.” He ran a thumb over the golden jewel at the top, gently smiling. "Oh, I have to get stationary now..."

Leia smiled as the boy searched amongst the crowd of stalls. “You better not lose it.” 

* * *

About five years passed. Rieze Maxia and Elympios were long past reunification, now focusing on providing a healthier environment for the latter. Friends came and left, some stayed, some went their own ways. 

Jude’s room was no longer in Fennmont; Helioborg made for a new resting spot, not any tidier than the last place. Papers still overflowed all over his desk and books were always splayed across the floor. Today was different, though; he was going to move to a different facility to focus on advancing his research more. Meaning that his room was finally organized for once, in the form of neatly stacked boxes. 

The desk was the last area he decided to pack. Research papers still had to be filed and put in their respective folders. _Of course, he saved the most tedious part for last._ That was just one of the perks that came with being a researcher.

There was only one thing left to pack. Jude delicately dusted an old photo frame at the corner of his desk, careful to not ruin the picture inside of it. It was a memory of those close to him, capturing their personality in a single image; Leia posed with a peace sign, Gaius crossed his arms, as usual, Elize held Teepo with a huge smile. There were new faces too, but regardless they were welcomed without hesitation into their close knit group; a girl with blonde pigtails, her small hand holding a larger one. A pair of sisters, one obviously annoyed by the other. 

And of course, the person he always looked up to. Milla. She was standing next to him, wearing the same gentle smile that always put him at ease. He was right some years ago, believing that he would meet her again, but only to part ways again…but that was just part of life, he had learned. 

Jude couldn’t help but smile at the faint memory, folding the frame stand and placing it in an empty box. It was something he would cherish forever, a memory of the people who helped him get where he was now. He’d be farther away from them now, as well as more work stacked on his plate.

What was it that Leia said at that time? They’d see each other again someday, someplace. He closed the box with that thought in mind. It wouldn’t be exactly the same the next time they met; they’d be older, probably _years_ older, and at their own respective points of life. But if Jude was thankful for one thing, it was for the precious time and memories those very friends gave him. 


End file.
